Marine sonar display device with three-dimensional views

ABSTRACT

A marine sonar display device comprises a display, a sonar element, a memory element, and a processing element. The display presents sonar images. The sonar element generates a sonar beam and presents transducer signals. The processing element is in communication with the display, the sonar element, and the memory element and receives the transducer signals, calculates sonar data from the transducer signals and generates a three-dimensional view of a portion of the body of water, wherein the view includes a plurality of sonar images. Each sonar image is generated from sonar data derived from a previously-generated sonar beam and includes representations of underwater objects and a water bed. The processing element also generates a cursor plane and a cursor positioned thereon, both of which appear on the three-dimensional view. The processing element further controls the display to present the three-dimensional view, the sonar images, the cursor plane, and the cursor.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The current non-provisional patent application is a continuation of andclaims priority benefit to, co-pending and commonly assigned U.S.non-provisional patent application entitled, “MARINE SONAR DISPLAY WITHCURSOR PLANE,” application Ser. No. 14/604,266, filed Jan. 23, 2015,which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of earlier-filed U.S.provisional patent applications entitled “MARINE SONAR DISPLAY DEVICE”,Application Ser. No. 62/024,833, filed Jul. 15, 2014; “MARINE MULTIBEAMSONAR DEVICE,” Application Ser. No. 62/024,843, filed Jul. 15, 2014; and“A SONAR TRANSDUCER ARRAY ASSEMBLY AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF”,Application Ser. No. 62/024,823, filed Jul. 15, 2014. The earlier-filedapplications are hereby incorporated by reference into the currentapplication in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Marine sound navigation and ranging (sonar) display devices typicallyinclude one or more transmit devices to generate a sound beam into abody of water and one or more receive devices to detect the reflectionsof the sound beam. The sonar display devices may also include aprocessing element that calculates sonar data based on the reflectionsto generate a sonar image that is shown on a display. The sonar imagetypically includes a representation of underwater objects and the waterbed in the vicinity of a marine vessel on which the sonar display deviceis mounted.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present technology provide a marine sonar displaydevice that includes a multibeam sonar element which generates a sonarbeam whose direction can be controlled. The device may display sonarimages derived from sweeping the sonar beam across a range of anglesresulting in underwater views that have greater clarity that those ofprior art devices. The marine sonar display device comprises a display,a sonar element, a memory element, and a processing element. The displaypresents sonar images. The sonar element generates a sonar beam andpresents transducer signals. The processing element is in communicationwith the display, the sonar element, and the memory element and receivesthe transducer signals, calculates sonar data from the transducersignals, and generates a three-dimensional view of a portion of the bodyof water, wherein the view includes a plurality of sonar images. Eachsonar image is generated from sonar data derived from apreviously-generated sonar beam and includes representations ofunderwater objects and a water bed. The processing element alsogenerates a cursor plane and a cursor positioned thereon, both of whichappear on the three-dimensional view. The processing element furthercontrols the display to present the three-dimensional view, the sonarimages, the cursor plane, and the cursor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the present technology is described in detail below withreference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a marine sonar display deviceconstructed in accordance with various embodiments of the currenttechnology;

FIG. 2 is block schematic diagram of electronic components of the marinesonar display device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sonar element including a housing,wherein the housing is inverted to display a bottom wall on which afirst transducer array and a second transducer array are visible;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a transmit beam generated by the firsttransducer array;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the transmit beam and the first transducerarray;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of just the first transducer array and thesecond transducer array from FIG. 3, further illustrating the transmitbeam and a plurality of receive beams;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the sonar element generating a sonarbeam;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the sonar element and the sonar beam;

FIG. 9 is a screen capture from a display of the marine sonar displaydevice illustrating a two-dimensional (2D) down video view;

FIG. 10 is a screen capture illustrating a three-dimensional (3D) downvideo view including a cursor plane;

FIG. 11 is a screen capture illustrating a 3D down sweep video view;

FIG. 12 is a screen capture illustrating a 2D forward video view;

FIG. 13 is a screen capture illustrating a 2D forward split video view;

FIG. 14 is a screen capture illustrating a 3D forward sweep video view;and

FIG. 15 is a screen capture illustrating a 3D forward sweep video viewincluding a cursor plane.

The drawing figures do not limit the present technology to the specificembodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the technology references theaccompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which thetechnology can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describeaspects of the technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice the technology. Other embodiments can be utilizedand changes can be made without departing from the scope of the presenttechnology. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to betaken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present technology isdefined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or“embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to areincluded in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separatereferences to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” inthis description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and arealso not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Forexample, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment mayalso be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included.Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinationsand/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Embodiments of the present technology relate to a marine sonar displaydevice that utilizes multibeam technology. Sonar display devices withmultibeam technology typically include an array of sound transmittingdevices and an array of sound receiving devices that utilize beamformingtechniques to generate a broad sonar beam which is projected into a bodyof water. The sonar display devices may include a processing elementthat calculates sonar data based on the reflections of the sonar beamfrom underwater objects and the water bed. The processing element mayalso generate sonar images corresponding to the sonar data. The sonarimages may include representations of underwater objects and the waterbed in the vicinity of a marine vessel which is utilizing the sonardisplay device. However, traditional sonar display devices providelittle information from the sonar images other than the above-describedrepresentations.

Embodiments of the technology will now be described in more detail withreference to the drawing figures. Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2,a marine sonar display device 10 is illustrated which is configured todisplay images of underwater objects and the water bed derived frommultibeam sonar. The marine sonar display device 10 broadly comprises ahousing 12, a display 14, a user interface 16, a communication element18, a location determining element 20, a sonar element 22, a multi axissensor 23, a memory element 24, and a processing element 26.

The marine sonar display device 10 may have one or more modes ofoperation or usage. A first mode of operation is down scan and side scanin which the device 10 displays two-dimensional (2D) and/orthree-dimensional (3D) sonar images from beneath the marine vessel. Asecond mode of operation is forward scan in which the device 10 displays2D and 3D sonar images from in front of the marine vessel. Additional oralternative modes may be employed to generate and display sonar imagesin any configuration or orientation with respect to the marinevessel—e.g., rear, forward, side, down, and/or any other directionalorientations.

The housing 12, as shown in FIG. 1, generally encloses and protects theother components, except the sonar element 22, from moisture, vibration,and impact. The housing 12 may include mounting hardware for removablysecuring the marine sonar display device 10 to a surface within themarine vessel or may be configured to be panel-mounted within the marinevessel. The housing 12 may be constructed from a suitable lightweightand impact-resistant material such as, for example, plastic, nylon,aluminum, or any combination thereof. The housing 12 may include one ormore appropriate gaskets or seals to make it substantially waterproof orresistant. The housing 12 may take any suitable shape or size, and theparticular size, weight and configuration of the housing 12 may bechanged without departing from the scope of the present technology.

The display 14, as shown in FIG. 1, may include video devices of thefollowing types: plasma, light-emitting diode (LED), organic LED (OLED),Light Emitting Polymer (LEP) or Polymer LED (PLED), liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), thin film transistor (TFT) LCD, LED side-lit or back-litLCD, heads-up displays (HUDs), or the like, or combinations thereof. Thedisplay 14 may possess a square or a rectangular aspect ratio and may beviewed in either a landscape or a portrait mode. In various embodiments,the display 14 may also include a touch screen occupying the entirescreen or a portion thereof so that the display 14 functions as part ofthe user interface 16. The touch screen may allow the user to interactwith the marine sonar display device 10 by physically touching, swiping,or gesturing on areas of the screen.

The user interface 16 generally allows the user to utilize inputs andoutputs to interact with the marine sonar display device 10. Inputs mayinclude buttons, pushbuttons, knobs, jog dials, shuttle dials,directional pads, multidirectional buttons, switches, keypads,keyboards, mice, joysticks, microphones, or the like, or combinationsthereof. Outputs may include audio speakers, lights, dials, meters, orthe like, or combinations thereof. With the user interface 16, the usermay be able to control the features and operation of the display 14. Forexample, the user may be able to zoom in and out on the display 14 usingeither virtual onscreen buttons or actual pushbuttons. In addition, theuser may be able to pan the image on the display 14 either by touchingand swiping the screen of the display 14 or by using multidirectionalbuttons or dials.

The communication element 18 generally allows communication withexternal systems or devices. The communication element 18 may includesignal or data transmitting and receiving circuits, such as antennas,amplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, digital signal processors(DSPs), and the like. The communication element 18 may establishcommunication wirelessly by utilizing radio frequency (RF) signalsand/or data that comply with communication standards such as cellular2G, 3G, or 4G, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.11 standard such as WiFi, IEEE 802.16 standard such as WiMAX,Bluetooth™, or combinations thereof. In addition, the communicationelement 18 may utilize communication standards such as ANT, ANT+,Bluetooth™ low energy (BLE), the industrial, scientific, and medical(ISM) band at 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), N2k, CAN, or the like. Alternatively,or in addition, the communication element 18 may establish communicationthrough connectors or couplers that receive metal conductor wires orcables or optical fiber cables. The communication element 18 may be incommunication with the processing element 26 and the memory element 24.

The location determining element 20 generally determines a currentgeolocation of the marine sonar display device 10 and may receive andprocess radio frequency (RF) signals from a global navigation satellitesystem (GNSS) such as the global positioning system (GPS) primarily usedin the United States, the GLONASS system primarily used in the SovietUnion, or the Galileo system primarily used in Europe. The locationdetermining element 20 may accompany or include an antenna to assist inreceiving the satellite signals. The antenna may be a patch antenna, alinear antenna, or any other type of antenna that can be used withlocation or navigation devices. The location determining element 20 mayinclude satellite navigation receivers, processors, controllers, othercomputing devices, or combinations thereof, and memory. The locationdetermining element 20 may process a signal, referred to herein as a“location signal”, from one or more satellites that includes data fromwhich geographic information such as the current geolocation is derived.The current geolocation may include coordinates, such as the latitudeand longitude, of the current location of the marine sonar displaydevice 10. The location determining element 20 may communicate thecurrent geolocation to the processing element 26, the memory element 24,or both.

Although embodiments of the location determining element 20 may includea satellite navigation receiver, it will be appreciated that otherlocation-determining technology may be used. For example, cellulartowers or any customized transmitting radio frequency towers can be usedinstead of satellites may be used to determine the location of themarine sonar display device 10 by receiving data from at least threetransmitting locations and then performing basic triangulationcalculations to determine the relative position of the device withrespect to the transmitting locations. With such a configuration, anystandard geometric triangulation algorithm can be used to determine thelocation of the marine sonar display device 10. The location determiningelement 20 may also include or be coupled with a pedometer,accelerometer, compass, or other dead-reckoning components which allowit to determine the location of the device 10. The location determiningelement 20 may determine the current geographic location through acommunications network, such as by using Assisted GPS (A-GPS), or fromanother electronic device. The location determining element 20 may evenreceive location data directly from a user.

The sonar element 22, as shown in FIG. 3, generally includes multibeam,phased-array sound navigation and ranging (sonar) components. In variousembodiments, the sonar element 22 may include a transmitter 28, areceiver 30, a first transducer array 32, and a second transducer array36. The transmitter 28 may include electronic circuitry which connectsto either the first transducer array 32 or the second transducer array36. The electronic circuitry may include components such as amplifiers,filters, and transformers that process a transmit transducer electronicsignal. The transmit electronic signal may include a plurality ofindividual transmit transducer electronic signals, wherein each transmittransducer electronic signal is a series of periodic pulses, such assine wave pulses or square wave pulses, whose phase can be adjusted. Asingle series of pulses may be referred to as a “ping”. The transmittransducer electronic signals may be communicated to either the firsttransducer array 32 or the second transducer array 36, one of which willgenerate a corresponding transmit beam 34, seen in FIGS. 4-6, that isreflected off of underwater objects and the water bed, as discussed inmore detail below. The first transducer array 32 is shown in the figuresas generating the transmit beam 34. This implementation is merelyexemplary, and the transmit beam 34 may be generated by the secondtransducer array 36 as well.

The receiver 30 may include electronic circuitry which connects toeither the first transducer array 32 or the second transducer array 36.The electronic circuitry may include components such as amplifiers,filters, and analog to digital converters (ADCs) that process a receivetransducer electronic signal. The receive transducer electronic signalsmay be generated by either the first transducer array 32 or the secondtransducer array 36 as a result of the reflections of the transmit beam34 from the objects or the water bed in the path of the transmit beam34. Each receive transducer electronic signal includes, or is associatedwith, a phase or time delay which may be adjusted. These phase valuesmay be utilized by the processing element 26 when sonar data iscalculated, as described in more detail below. A particular set of phasevalues may determine the reflections that are received at a particularangle with respect to either the first transducer array 32 or the secondtransducer array 36. The combination of particular phase values and thereceive transducer electronic signals may be considered a receive beam38, as seen in FIG. 6. The receive beam 38 is shown in the figures asbeing associated with the second transducer array 36. Thisimplementation is merely exemplary, and the transmit beam 34 may begenerated by the first transducer array 32 as well. Varying the phasevalues also varies the angle of the receive beam 38, with one set ofphase values for each angle desired. The receive beam 38 may have aroughly triangular profile with a long, narrow base representing a swathwhere the beam reflects from the water bed. Furthermore, the receivebeam 38 may be oriented such that its longitudinal axis is orthogonal tothe axis formed by either the first transducer array 32 or the secondtransducer array 36.

The first transducer array 32 generally includes a plurality oftransducers or transducer elements that are positioned to form atwo-dimensional linear array. Each transducer may be formed frompiezoelectric materials like ceramics such as lead zirconate titanate(PZT) or polymers such as polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). The firsttransducer array 32 may be configured or programmed, by the processingelement 26, to perform a beam transmitting function, a beam receivingfunction, or both, wherein the beam includes an acoustic wave at sonicor ultrasonic frequencies.

When the first transducer array 32 is functioning as a beam transmitter,each transducer of the array 32 may receive a transmit transducerelectronic signal and may produce a series of mechanical vibrations oroscillations that forms a corresponding acoustic beam. The acoustic beammay have a positive acoustic pressure or a negative acoustic pressuredepending on the polarity of the transmit transducer electronic signal.Generally, the acoustic beam may have a positive acoustic pressurecorresponding to a positive polarity of the transmit transducerelectronic signal, while a negative electrical polarity may result in anacoustic beam with negative acoustic pressure.

The transducers in the first transducer array 32 may be spaced apartwith the pitch from one transducer to the next determined by awavelength, or inversely, the frequency, of the transmit beam 34. Giventhe close proximity of the transducers to one another in the firsttransducer array 32, when each transducer produces an acoustic beam,constructive and destructive wave interference may occur, creating apattern of nodes and antinodes that can be shaped to form the transmitbeam 34, which functions as a single acoustic beam that can be steeredor directed. However, in certain embodiments, the arrays 32, 36 mayemploy any transducer configuration including non-phased, steerable, andnon-steerable, sonar elements.

The transmit beam 34 may have a roughly triangular profile with a long,narrow base representing a swath where the beam impacts the water bed.The transmit beam 34 may be oriented such that its longitudinal axis isorthogonal to the axis formed by the first transducer array 32. Thedirection of the transmit beam 34, or its angle α with respect to thearray axis as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, may be controlled by controllingthe phase of each sound beam, which in turn may be controlled by thetransmit transducer electronic signals. Thus, by properly adjusting thephase of each transmit transducer electronic signal, the direction ofthe transmit beam 34 may be varied. If the phases are adjusted onsuccessive pings of the transmit transducer electronic signals, then thetransmit beam 34 may be swept through a range of angles. When thetransmitter 28 is utilized with a marine vessel and the transmit beam 34is swept, the beam may be swept from front to back of the vessel or fromside to side, depending on the orientation of the first transducer array32. In addition, the width of the transmit beam 34, as shown in FIG. 4,may be controlled by adjusting the phase of each transmit transducerelectronic signal.

When the first transducer array 32 is functioning as a beam receiver,each transducer of the array 32 may receive acoustic pressure from anacoustic beam, such as one reflected from underwater objects and thewater bed, and may generate a receive transducer electronic signalcorresponding to the acoustic beam. Furthermore, the receive transducerelectronic signal may have a positive polarity (e.g., a positivevoltage) corresponding to a positive acoustic pressure and a negativepolarity (e.g., a negative voltage) corresponding to a negative acousticpressure. The receive electronic signal from each transducer of thearray 32 is communicated to the receiver 30, which performs processingon the signals as discussed above and communicates them to theprocessing element 26, which calculates sonar data from the signals.

When the first transducer array 32 is functioning as both a beamtransmitter and a beam receiver, a portion of the transducers of thearray 32 transmit an acoustic beam while the rest of the transducersreceive the acoustic beam. Typically, the transducers transmitting thebeam are grouped together toward one end of the array 32, while thetransducers receiving the beam are grouped together toward the opposingend.

The second transducer array 36 may be substantially the same instructure and operation as the first transducer array 32. That is, thesecond transducer array 36 may function as either a beam transmitter, abeam receiver, or both. In some embodiments, the second transducer array36 may include the same number of transducers as the first transducerarray 32. In other embodiments, the second transducer array 36 may havea greater or lesser number of transducers than the first transducerarray 32.

The function of each transducer array 32, 36 may be controlled by theprocessing element 26, which controls the connections between the firsttransducer array 32, the second transducer array 36, the transmitter 28,and the receiver 30. When the first transducer array 32 is connected tothe transmitter 28, it functions as a beam transmitter. When the firsttransducer 32 is connected to the receiver 30, it functions as a beamreceiver. When the first transducer array 32 is connected to thetransmitter 28 and the receiver 30, it functions as both a beamtransmitter and a beam receiver. Likewise, with the second transducerarray 36. The sonar element 22 may include switching circuits,multiplexing circuits, demultiplexing circuits, or combinations thereofthat control the connections between the two arrays 32, 36, thetransmitter 28, and the receiver 30. These circuits may receive signalsor data from the processing element 26 that establish the appropriateconnections.

The first transducer array 32 may be oriented with its linear axisorthogonal to the linear axis of the second transducer array 36 to formwhat is commonly known as a “Mills Cross”. In various embodiments, thesecond transducer array 36 may be positioned such that one end of thesecond transducer array 36 is adjacent to the center of the firsttransducer array 32, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6. Having the firsttransducer array 32 oriented orthogonally with the second transducerarray 36 allows the receive beam 38 to be swept across the path of thetransmit beam 34 in order to determine the angular direction of thewater bed features or other objects that reflect the transmit beam 34.

The sonar element 22 may further include a housing 40, as seen in FIGS.3 and 7, that encloses the transmitter 28 and the receiver 30. Thehousing 40 may include a top wall, a bottom wall, and four sidewalls.The first transducer array 32 and the second transducer array 36 may bepositioned in an opening on the bottom wall, as seen in FIG. 3, whereinthe bottom wall is face up.

The sonar element 22 is typically mounted to a hull of the marinevessel, but may be mounted anywhere which provides access to a body ofwater. Thus, in configurations, the sonar element 22 may be configuredfor towing behind the marine vessel, for use with a remote operatedvehicle (ROV) or autonomous vehicle associated with the marine vessel,and/or for extension from the hull of the marine vessel via mountingbrackets, transom and trolling mounts, and the like. The specificposition and orientation of the sonar element 22 may depend on the modeof operation of the marine sonar display device 10. In the down scan andside scan mode of operation, the sonar element 22 may be mounted to thehull of the marine vessel such that the first transducer array 32 andthe second transducer array 36 lie in a horizontal plane with the firsttransducer array 32 extending between the forward and rear ends of themarine vessel and the second transducer array 36 extending between theport and starboard sides of the marine vessel. In the forward scan modeof operation, the sonar element 22 may be mounted to the hull of themarine vessel such that the first transducer array 32 and the secondtransducer array 36 lie in a plane that is tilted approximately 30-60degrees, and in some embodiments 45 degrees, with respect to thehorizontal. However, any tilt or depression angle may be utilizedincluding tilts exceeding 60 degrees. In addition, the first transducerarray 32 may extend between the port and starboard sides of the marinevessel and the second transducer array 36 may extend between the forwardand rear ends of the marine vessel. In some embodiments, the sonarelement 22 may include one or more mechanisms, such as servo motors,that will tilt and rotate the first transducer array 32 and the secondtransducer array 36 in order to switch between modes of operation. Thehousing 40 of the sonar element 22 may be configured for mounting in aplurality of configurations to support any mode of operation.

Referring to FIG. 6, the sonar element 22 may operate as follows,wherein the first transducer array 32 is configured to operate as a beamtransmitter and the second transducer array 36 is configured to operateas a beam receiver. The transmitter 28 may receive the transmittransducer electronic signals from the processing element 26 and, inturn, the first transducer array 32 may generate a ping or a short burstof pings along the transmit beam 34 path (whose angle and width aredetermined by controlling the phase of the transmit transducerelectronic signal to each transducer of the first transducer array 32).The second transducer array 36 may receive the reflections of thetransmit beam 34 and each transducer of the second transducer array 36may generate a receive transducer electronic signal. The receivetransducer electronic signals may be communicated to the processingelement 26, which performs a series of calculations on the data includedin the signals. The calculations may determine how the receive beams 38are formed to receive the transmit beam 34 reflections. The combinationof the single transmit beam 34 and the multiple receive beams 38 mayform a sonar beam 42 where the transmit beam 34 and the receive beams 38overlap. Thus, each sonar beam 42 may be thought of as emanating from asingle point and formed from a single transmit beam 34 and a pluralityof receive beams 38, as seen in FIG. 7, wherein the number of receivebeams 38 may depend on the resolution of the sonar beam 42 that isdesired. Generally, the higher the number of receive beams 38, thegreater the resolution. Furthermore, the sonar beam 42 may be projectedat the same angle α, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, with respect to the planeof the first transducer array 32 and the second transducer array 36 asthe transmit beam 34. In addition, since the sonar beam 42 is formedfrom the transmit beam 34, the width of the sonar beam 42, as shown inFIG. 7, may be controlled by adjusting the phase of each transmittransducer electronic signal.

The multi axis sensor 23 generally determines orientation informationregarding the sonar element 22 and may include sensing device such asaccelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and the like. The multi axissensor 23 may be enclosed in the housing 40 and may provide informationabout the sonar element 22 such as 3-axis motion or acceleration, 3-axisorientation, compass readings, and the like. The multi axis sensor 23may be able to determine a tilt of the sonar element 22 and thus, may beable to determine whether the housing 40 and the two arrays 32, 36 areon a horizontal plane or whether they are tilted forward. The multi axissensor 23 may further be able to determine a rotational or angularorientation of the sonar element 22 and thus, may be able to determinewhich of either the first transducer array 32 or the second transducerarray 36 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the marine vessel. Theinformation may be included in a sensor signal that is communicated fromthe multi axis sensor 23 to the processing element 26.

The memory element 24 may include data storage components such asread-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM, erasable programmable ROM,random-access memory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM) or dynamic RAM(DRAM), hard disks, floppy disks, optical disks, flash memory, thumbdrives, universal serial bus (USB) drives, or the like, or combinationsthereof. The memory element 24 may include, or may constitute, a“computer-readable medium”. The memory element 24 may store theinstructions, code, code segments, software, firmware, programs,applications, apps, services, daemons, or the like that are executed bythe processing element 26. The memory element 24 may also storesettings, data, documents, sound files, photographs, movies, images,databases, and the like.

The processing element 26 may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), analog and/or digital application-specificintegrated circuits (ASICs), or the like, or combinations thereof. Theprocessing element 26 may generally execute, process, or runinstructions, code, code segments, software, firmware, programs,applications, apps, processes, services, daemons, or the like, or maystep through states of a finite-state machine, or combinations of theseactions. The processing element 26 may be in communication with theother electronic components through serial or parallel links thatinclude address busses, data busses, control lines, and the like. Insome configurations, the processing element 26 may consist of a singlemicroprocessor or microcontroller. However, in other configurations, theprocessing element 26 may comprise a plurality of processing devices(e.g., microprocessors, DSPs, etc.). Thus, for example, a firstprocessor may be utilized the control the operation of the sonar element22 (e.g., beamforming) as described below while a second processor maybe utilized to generate and display sonar imagery.

The processing element 26 may be configured to control the operation ofthe sonar element 22. The processing element 26 may assign the functions(beam transmitter, beam receiver, or both) to the first transducer array32 and the second transducer array 36. The assignment may be based onthe orientation of the housing 40 of the sonar element 22, as providedby the multi axis sensor 23, or input from the user regarding video viewoptions. The processing element 26 may also adjust the phase of all ofthe transmit transducer electronic signals and may communicate them tothe transmitter 28. The phase adjustment may determine the width and theangle α of the transmit beam 34. The angle α may vary according tosettings of the marine sonar display device 10. With some settings, theangle α may be set to approximately 90 degrees and held there so thatthe sonar beam 42 aims straight down. Or, the angle α may be set andheld at another value. With other settings, the angle α may initially beset to its smallest value and then incrementally increased, or swept, toits maximum value.

The first transducer array 32 or the second transducer array 36 maygenerate the transmit beam 34 as a ping or burst of pings as discussedabove. As the transmit beam 34 returns from the water bed and underwaterobjects in the path of the beam, the transducer array 32, 36 configuredto receive the beam 34 may generate the receive transducer electronicsignals. The processing element 26 may receive the receive transducerelectronic signals and may perform a series of calculations on the dataincluded in the signals to determine the features of the water bed orobjects in the path of the transmit beam 34. The processing element 26may set the phase value for each receive transducer electronic signal tocalculate sonar data for the receive beam 38 being positioned at a firstangle. Typically, the first angle is set for the receive beam 38 topoint at one edge of the transmit beam 34 swath. The processing element26 may also adjust the phase value for each receive transducerelectronic signal to calculate sonar data for the receive beam 38 beingpositioned at a plurality of incrementally increasing angles, whereinthe last angle corresponds to the opposite edge of the transmit beam 34swath. The calculation of sonar data for the multiple receive beams 38is also the calculation of sonar data for the sonar beam 42.

In some embodiments, the calculations of the sonar data for the sonarbeam 42 may be performed as a set of simultaneous equations or a matrixequation. Furthermore, calculations such as a fast Fourier transform(FFT) may be performed to compute the sonar data. The time delay fromwhen the ping was generated until the reflections were received maydetermine the depth of objects in the transmit beam 34 path or the waterbed. The amplitude, intensity, or other characteristic of the sonar datamay determine the density of the objects in the transmit beam 34 path orthe water bed. After the calculations are performed, or in someembodiments, as the calculations are being performed, the processingelement 26 may communicate transmit transducer electronic signals to thetransmitter 28 to generate another ping. The angle α of the sonar beam42 may be the same as for the previous ping, or it may be adjusted to adifferent angle, depending on settings of the marine sonar displaydevice 10.

The processing element 26 may be configured to generate sonar imagerybased on the sonar data. The sonar imagery may be communicated to thedisplay 14 and may generally include representations of the underwaterobjects and the water bed derived from the sonar data that are in thepath of the sonar beam 42. The specifics of the sonar imagery may dependon the operating mode of the marine sonar display device 10 and auser-selected video view, as discussed below.

The processing element 26 may receive data from the multi axis sensor 23regarding the orientation and the tilt of the sonar element 22. Fromthis data, the processing element 26 may automatically determine whetherthe marine sonar display device 10 is in the down scan and side scanmode or in the forward scan mode. The processing element 26 may alsoprepare the content of various menus to be shown on the display 14 basedon the information from the multi axis sensor 23. The menus may includeoptions for selecting what type of sonar scan is performed or what typeof video view is available.

The processing element 26 may receive geolocation or positionalinformation from the location determining element 20. In variousembodiments, the processing element 26 may associate the sonar data withgeolocation information. The processing element 26 may create a databaseor a database-like structure, that is stored in the memory element 24,in which a portion of the geolocations in the vicinity of the marinevessel are associated with a depth and a density.

The various components of the marine sonar display device 10 may beintegrated into one or more housings as discussed above. For instance,the sonar element 22 may be supported or encapsulated by housing 40while the display 14, user interface 16, location determining component20, communication element 18, sensor 23, memory element 24, andprocessing element 26 may be supported by housing 12. However, anynumber of housings may be employed to retain the various components ofthe marine sonar display device 10. For instance, a first housing mayhouse the display 14 and user interface 16, a second housing may housethe processing element 26, and a third housing may house the sonarelement 22. Such configurations enable embodiments of the presenttechnology to be employed with a variety of hardware and marineequipment. For example, in one embodiment, a conventional smart phonemay function as the display 14.

The marine sonar display device 10 may function as follows. In someembodiments, the sonar element 22 may be mounted on the hull of themarine vessel according to the mode of operation of the marine sonardisplay device 10. In other configurations, the sonar element 22 may bemounted to a trolling motor associated with the marine vessel. In thedown scan and side scan mode of operation, the sonar element 22 may bemounted to the hull of the marine vessel such that the first transducerarray 32 and the second transducer array 36 lie in a horizontal plane.In the forward scan mode of operation, the sonar element 22 may bemounted to the hull of the marine vessel such that the first transducerarray 32 and the second transducer array 36 lie in a plane that istilted to an angle approximately 30 degrees to approximately 60 degreeswith respect to the horizontal. However, any tilt or depression anglemay be utilized. The sonar element 22 may have to be manually orautomatically remounted or adjusted if the mode of operation is changed.In other embodiments, the sonar element 22 may include one or moremechanisms, such as servo motors, that tilt and rotate the firsttransducer array 32 and the second transducer array 36 in order toswitch between modes of operation. In certain embodiments, the sonarelement 22 may only need to be tilted, either manually or mechanically,to switch between the modes of operation. And, in some configurations,the sonar element 22 may be associated with a remote operated vehicle(ROV), underwater submersible, and/or autonomous underwater vehicle(AUV) where the orientation of the sonar element 22 with respect to themarine vessel's hull may be varied independent of any mounting to themarine vessel.

Once the marine sonar display device 10 is installed and operational,the multi axis sensor 23 may determine the orientation and the tilt ofthe sonar element 22. The processing element 26 may receive thisinformation and determine the operating mode of the marine sonar displaydevice 10. Based on the operating mode, the processing element 26 mayprepare video view options and menu selections that are shown on thedisplay 14. For example, when the marine sonar display device 10 isoperating in the down scan and side scan mode, the video view optionsfrom which a user can select may include a 2D down view, a 3D down view,and a 3D down sweep view. In the forward scan mode, the video viewoptions may include a 2D forward view, a 2D forward split view, and a 3Dforward sweep view. These video view options may be presented on one ormore menus that appear on the display 14. If the user interface 16includes a touchscreen, then the user can select the options on thedisplay 14. In addition, or instead, the user interface 16 may includebuttons, keys, or similar objects that allow the user to select videoview options. Furthermore, the processing element 26 may prepare theinformation that is shown on the display 14 to accompany the sonarimages for each of the video views described below. However, the device10 may provide any combination of operating modes (e.g., orientationsand configurations of the sonar element 22) and view options (2D, 3D,down, top, rear, forward, side, 360, etc.)

Based on the operating mode or input from the user in selecting videoview options, the processing element 26 may assign functionality to thefirst transducer array 32 and the second transducer array 36. Typically,in the side and down scan mode, the transducer array (either the firsttransducer array 32 or the second transducer array 36) that ispositioned with its longitudinal axis in alignment with, or parallel to,the longitudinal axis of the marine vessel is assigned to transmit thesonar beam 42 while the other transducer array is assigned to receivethe sonar beam 42. In the forward scan mode, the assignments arereversed. In some situations, such as when one transducer array includesmore transducer elements than the other array, it may be advantageous tochange the traditional assignment of functions to the transducer arrays.Furthermore, in some situations, it may be advantageous to have onetransducer array perform both the transmit and receive functions.

In the 2D down view, seen in FIG. 9, the processing element 26 mayinstruct the sonar element 22 to repeatedly generate the sonar beam 42at the angle α of approximately 90 degrees such that the sonar beam 42is pointed straight down beneath the marine vessel. The processingelement 26 may receive the receive transducer electronic signals,calculate the sonar data, and generate sonar imagery, which iscommunicated to the display 14. The display 14 may show a sonar image 44with representations of the underwater objects and the water bed thatare in the path of the sonar beam 42. The display 14 may also show arepresentation of the sonar beam 42 overlaid on the sonar image 44,wherein the representation includes two sides of the triangular shape ofthe sonar beam 42. The representations of the sonar beam 42, theunderwater objects, and the water bed may be presented as an elevationalview from the rear of the marine vessel. The processing element 26 mayassign a color to the underwater objects and the water bed based on thedensity indicated by the sonar data. The display 14 may further show anindication of a distance from the center of the marine vessel (or thelocation where the sonar element is mounted) to the port side and to thestarboard side. In addition, the display 14 may show an indication ofthe depth below the marine vessel. The distance indication is typicallyshown at the top of the display 14 screen, while the depth indication istypically shown on one side the display 14 screen.

The location of the underwater objects as they are shown on the display14 screen generally represents their position in the water relative tothe marine vessel, such that underwater objects on the port side of thevessel appear on the left side of the display 14 and underwater objectson the starboard side of the vessel appear on the right side of thedisplay 14. Furthermore, the portion of the sonar image 44 showing theunderwater objects and the water bed may be redrawn on the display 14after the sonar data for each ping is calculated, resulting in a nearreal time or “live” presentation of the sonar image 44.

In the 2D down view, the user may also be able to place a cursor 46 onthe display 14 that overlays the sonar image 44. The cursor 46 mayinclude crosshairs for a particular point on the sonar image 44. Thedisplay 14 may further show one or more scales that provide anindication of the depth and the distance from the center of the marinevessel pointed to by the crosshairs. The user may be able to move thecrosshairs by clicking and dragging a mouse, selecting or depressing akeypad or button, and/or by touching or making gestures on the display14.

In the 3D down view, seen in FIG. 10, the processing element 26 mayinstruct the sonar element 22 to repeatedly generate the sonar beam 42at the angle α of approximately 90 degrees such that the sonar beam 42is pointed straight down beneath the marine vessel, as occurs in the 2Ddown view. From the calculated sonar data, the processing element 26 maygenerate a three-dimensional view 45 that includes the sonar image 44with representations of the underwater objects and the water bed thatare in the path of the sonar beam 42 that is shown on the display 14.The sonar image 44 may further include additional sonar images 44,derived from historical sonar data, with representations of theunderwater objects and the water bed that were in the path of the sonarbeam 42 detected from previous pings. The display 14 may also show amarine vessel icon 48 and a sonar beam icon 50 overlaid on thethree-dimensional view 45. The marine vessel icon 48 may include arepresentation of a boat. The sonar beam icon 50 includes a triangleappearing directly beneath the marine vessel, wherein an apex of thetriangle originates from a position on the hull where the sonar element22 would be mounted. In addition, the bottom side of the triangle takeson the cross-sectional shape of the water bed along the plane of thesonar beam 42. The representations of the underwater objects and waterbed derived from historical sonar data are shown extending rearward fromthe sonar beam icon 50 with the most recently detected underwaterobjects and water bed appearing closest to the sonar beam icon 50 andearlier detected underwater objects and water bed appearing farther awayfrom the sonar beam icon 50. The three-dimensional view 45 may includesonar images 44 from a limited number of previous pings. Those sonarimages 44 derived from pings that are beyond the limit may, in someconfigurations, not be redrawn on the display 14.

The sonar images 44, the marine vessel icon 48, and the sonar beam icon50 of the 3D down view may be presented in a perspective view, whereinthe perspective may be selected by the user using the user interface 16,such as by clicking and dragging a mouse or making gestures on thedisplay 14 if it includes a touchscreen. The display 14 may furtherinclude one or more scales that provide an indication of a distance fromthe center of the marine vessel to the port side and to the starboardside as well as an indication of the depth below the marine vessel. Inaddition, the processing element 26 may assign a color to the underwaterobjects based on their depth, wherein the color is chosen from a firstcolor palette 49. The first color palette 49 may be on the display 14 inproximity to the three-dimensional view 45 along with an indication ofhow the colors correspond to the water depth. Additionally oralternatively, colors from the first color palette 49 may be chosenbased on signal amplitude or other signal characteristics.

In some embodiments, the water bed may be assigned a color based on itsdepth from the first color palette 49. In some configurations, only thefirst color palette 49 is utilized. In other embodiments, the water bedmay be assigned a color from a second color palette.

For instance, in the example of FIG. 10, the water bed may be coloredgreen while objects above the water bed may be colored based on theirrespective depth below the water's surface. In other implementations,the water bed and objects suspended above the water bed may both becolored according to the one or more depth-based color palettes. In oneconfiguration, the color palette spreads thered-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet spectrum across about 140feet so that objects nearest the vessel (within about 10 feet forinstance) are colored red, objects between about 10-25 feet are coloredorange, objects between about 25-35 feet are colored yellow, and soforth. The particular color palette(s) employed by the device 10 may beuser configurable to enable the user to select desired colors based ondepth and/or object type.

Furthermore, the display 14 may include icons, such as buttons, thatallow the user to select views of the three-dimensional view 45 fromvarious predetermined perspectives. In exemplary embodiments, thedisplay 14 may include three viewing icons. A first icon 52 may select aperspective view. A second icon 54 may select an overhead plan view. Athird icon 56 may select a side elevational view. Upon selection of anyof the icons 52, 54, 56, the display 14 may smoothly switch to thedesired view of the three-dimensional view 45. Such functionally enablesthe user to operate the user interface 16 to view any visualrepresentation of sonar data (e.g., from any angle, attitude, and/ororientation) while the icons 52, 54, 56 allow the user to rapidly returnto primary views without manually repositioning the displayed data. Insome implementations, one or more of the view icons may be userprogrammable via the user interface 16 to enable the user to savedesired sonar view perspectives for later recall and access.

As shown in the example of FIGS. 10 and 15, the user may also be able toplace the cursor 46 on the display 14. The cursor 46 may includecrosshairs for a particular point on one of the sonar images 44. Thedisplay 14 may further show a cursor plane 47 that is parallel to theplane of the sonar beam 42. The cursor plane 47 may highlight orindicate underwater objects that were detected from a particular ping ofthe sonar beam 42. The user may be able to select the time indicated bythe cursor plane 47 by clicking and dragging the cursor plane with amouse, keypad, and/or button or making gestures on the display 14 if itincludes a touchscreen, e.g., the user may slide and/or drag his or herfingers across the display 14 to position the cursor plane 47 at adesired point in time (e.g., over current or previously-received sonardata). The cursor 46, and its associated crosshairs, may be placed onthe cursor plane 47 through the user interface 16. The user may be ableto move the crosshairs by clicking and dragging the crosshairs. Inconfigurations using a touchscreen, the user may be able to move thecursor 46 and its crosshairs by tapping. Thus, in touchscreenconfigurations, the cursor 46 and cursor plane 47 may be easilypositioned to select sonar data by the user sliding, dragging, andtapping his or her fingers.

Data selected using the cursor 46 may be employed for various purposes.In one configuration, selection of sonar data with the cursor 46 createsa geographic waypoint indicating, for example, the latitude andlongitude of the selected sonar data point. The geographic location ofthe selected sonar data point may be determined utilizing historicallocation data generated by the location determining component 20 and/orstored sonar data within the memory 24. The historical location data mayinclude a track log or database indicating previous geographic locationsof the marine vessel. The stored sonar data may include scaninformation, such as scan angle and phase information, for previoussonar returns. Such waypoint marking functionality, for example, may beuseful to enable the user to later return to the geographic locationcorresponding to the selected sonar data point, to provide distance,bearing, and navigational information relative to the geographiclocation of the selected sonar data point, to view the selected sonardata point from different orientations, angles, and attitudes usingvarious 2D and 3D views, combinations thereof, and the like.

The cursor 46 and associated cursor plane 47 may be employed with anysonar views presented by the device 10. Thus, for example, in any view,the user may function the user interface 16 to move the cursor plane 47forward and backwards in time while moving the cursor 46, within theplane 47, to select or overlay sonar data corresponding to the timeselected by the cursor plane 47. In some views, such as side scan views,the device 10 may present two or more synchronized cursors 46 and cursorplanes 47 to allow selection of sonar data across time.

In the 3D down sweep view, as seen in FIG. 11, the processing element 26may instruct the sonar element 22 to sweep the range of angles α for thesonar beam 42, typically such that the sonar beam 42 is pointed downwardand swept along a line between the front of the marine vessel and therear of the marine vessel. In exemplary embodiments, the sonar beam 42is swept from the front to the rear of the marine vessel. From thecalculated sonar data, the processing element 26 may generate thethree-dimensional view 45 that includes the sonar images 44 resultingfrom sweeping the sonar beam 42. The sonar images 44 may includerepresentations of the underwater objects and the water bed that are inthe path of the sonar beam 42 as it is being swept. Each sonar image 44may be configured to appear on the display 14 at the same angle α as theassociated sonar beam 42 was generated. The sonar images 44 for eachangle α of the sonar beam 42 may be from the most recent pings and arereplaced as soon as the sonar data for each ping is available. Thedisplay 14 may also show the marine vessel icon 48 and the sonar beamicon 50 overlaid on the three-dimensional view 45. As with the 3D downview, the three-dimensional view 45 in the 3D down sweep view ispresented as a perspective view, wherein the perspective may be selectedby the user, such as by clicking and dragging a mouse or making gestureson the display 14 if it includes a touchscreen. The 3D down sweep viewincludes other features of the 3D down view such as the distance anddepth scales, coloring of underwater objects and the water bed from oneor more color palettes, and icons that allow the user to selectdifferent perspectives of the three-dimensional view 45.

The 2D forward view, as seen in FIG. 12, is similar to the 2D down view.The processing element 26 may instruct the sonar element 22 torepeatedly generate the sonar beam 42 at the angle α of approximately 90degrees. But since the first transducer array 32 and the secondtransducer array 36 are rotated by 90 degrees and tilted forward, ascompared with the 2D down view, the sonar beam 42 is projected on alongitudinal path in front of the marine vessel instead of aside-to-side path below the marine vessel. As a result, the sonar image44 generated by the processing element 26 may include representations ofthe underwater objects and the water bed that are on a path extendingfrom the front (bow) of the marine vessel forward. The display 14 mayalso show a representation of the rear edge of the sonar beam 42overlaid on the sonar image 44.

The representations of the sonar beam 42, the underwater objects, andthe water bed may be presented as an elevational view from the sideand/or any other direction. The underwater objects and the water bed maybe assigned a color based on the received signal amplitude or othercharacteristic indicated by the sonar data. The display 14 may furthershow a first scale providing an indication of a distance from the frontof the marine vessel as well as a second scale providing an indicationof the depth below the marine vessel. The distance scale is typicallyshown at the top of the display 14 screen, while the depth scale istypically shown on one side the display 14 screen. In the 2D forwardview as shown in FIG. 12, underwater objects that appear on the leftside of the display 14 are closer to the front of the marine vesselwhile objects on the right side of the display 14 are farther from themarine vessel.

As described above, the user may also be able to place the cursor 46and/or cursor plane 47 on the display 14. The cursor 46 may includecrosshairs for a particular point on the sonar image 44. The display 14may further show an indication of the depth and the distance from thefront of the marine vessel pointed to by the crosshairs. The user may beable to move the cursor 46 and cursor plane 47 using the user interface16.

In the 2D forward split view, seen in FIG. 13, the processing element 26may instruct the sonar element 22 to generate a first sonar beam 42 thatis pointed to the starboard side of the marine vessel and a second sonarbeam 42 that is pointed to the port side of the marine vessel. The sonarelement 22 may generate the first sonar beam 42 on odd-numbered pingsand the second sonar beam 42 on even-numbered pings. Thus, theprocessing element 26 may calculate two sets of sonar data and maygenerate two sonar images 44 to be shown on the display 14. A firstsonar image 44A, with representations of the underwater objects and thewater bed derived from the sonar data of the first sonar beam 42, may beshown on the upper half of the display 14. A second sonar image 44B,with representations of the underwater objects and the water bed derivedfrom the sonar data of the second sonar beam 42, may be shown on thelower half of the display 14. The display 14 may also showrepresentations of the rear edges of the sonar beams 42 overlaid on thesonar images 44. In various configurations, multiple beams may begenerated (e.g., the first beam, the second beam, a third beamorientated between the first and second beams, etc.) to generate sonardata corresponding to any direction surrounding the marine vessel.

The first sonar image 44A and the second sonar image 44B may bepresented as elevational views from the side, typically the starboardside, of the marine vessel. The 2D forward split view may furtherinclude features of the 2D forward view, such as coloring based ondensity data and scales indicating forward distance and depth. In the 2Dforward split view as shown in FIG. 13, underwater objects that appearon the left side of the display 14 for both sonar images 44A, 44B arecloser to the front of the marine vessel while objects on the right sideof the display 14 are farther from the marine vessel.

The user may also be able to place the cursor 46 and/or cursor plane 47that overlays the either the first sonar image 44A or the second sonarimage 44B on the display 14. The cursor 46 may include crosshairs for aparticular point on one of the sonar images 44A, 44B. The display 14 mayfurther show an indication of the depth and the distance from the frontof the marine vessel pointed to by the crosshairs. The user may be ableto move the cursor 46 and cursor plane 47 using the user interface 16.

The 3D forward sweep view, as seen in FIG. 14, is similar to the 3D downsweep view. The processing element 26 may instruct the sonar element 22to sweep the range of angles α for the sonar beam 42. But, since thefirst transducer array 32 and the second transducer array 36 are rotatedby 90 degrees and tilted forward, the sonar beam 42 may be pointed in aforward direction to one side of the marine vessel, such as starboard.The sonar beam 42 is then swept in the forward direction to the otherside of the marine vessel, such as port, although sweeping could beperformed in the opposite direction as well. From the calculated sonardata, the processing element 26 may generate the three-dimensional view45 that includes the sonar images 44 resulting from sweeping the sonarbeam 42. Further similar to the 3D forward sweep view, the sonar images44 may include representations of the underwater objects and the waterbed that are in the path of the sonar beam 42 as it is being swept. Eachsonar image 44 may be configured to appear on the display 14 at the sameangle α as the associated sonar beam 42 was generated. The sonar images44 for each angle α of the sonar beam 42 may be from the most recentpings and are replaced as soon as the sonar data for each ping isavailable. The display 14 may also show the marine vessel icon 48 andthe sonar beam icon 50 overlaid on the three-dimensional view 45. Aswith some other views, the three-dimensional view 45 in the 3D forwardsweep view is presented as a perspective view, wherein the perspectivemay be selected by the user, such as by clicking and dragging a mouse ormaking gestures on the display 14 if it includes a touchscreen. The 3Dforward sweep view may include other features such as the distance anddepth scales, coloring of underwater objects and the water bed from oneor more color palettes, and icons that allow the user to selectdifferent perspectives of the three-dimensional view 45.

Although the technology has been described with reference to theembodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is notedthat equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein withoutdeparting from the scope of the technology as recited in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A marine sonar display device comprising: adisplay; a sonar element configured to generate a sonar beam output intoa portion of a body of water and transducer signals based on reflectionsof the sonar beam received from the body of water; a memory elementconfigured to store sonar data; a user interface that allows a user toselect a viewing angle of a three-dimensional view of a portion of thebody of water; and a processing element in communication with thedisplay, the sonar element, the memory element, and the user interface,the processing element configured to— receive the transducer signals,calculate sonar data from the received transducer signals along a pathof the sonar beam, generate a plurality of sonar images, wherein eachsonar image of the plurality of sonar images generated from the sonardata derived from the received transducer signals during a single pingin time and including representations of underwater objects and a waterbed for that ping, generate a viewing icon to appear on the display, theviewing icon corresponding a viewing angle from which thethree-dimensional view is seen and determine a selected predeterminedviewing angle based on selection of the viewing icon, generate thethree-dimensional view of a portion of the body of water based on theselected predetermined viewing angle, the view including the pluralityof sonar images, and control the display to visually present thethree-dimensional view.
 2. The marine sonar display device of claim 1,wherein the viewing icon is a perspective view graphic, and wherein theselected viewing angle is a perspective view.
 3. The marine sonardisplay device of claim 1, wherein the viewing icon is a overhead viewgraphic, and wherein the selected viewing angle is an overhead view. 4.The marine sonar display device of claim 1, wherein the viewing icon isa side view graphic, and wherein the selected viewing angle is a sideview.
 5. The marine sonar display device of claim 1, wherein theprocessing element is further configured to move a position of theviewing angle by sensing user inputs moving the viewing angle to aviewing angle other than the predetermined viewing angle.
 6. The marinesonar display device of claim 5, wherein the processing elementautomatically switches to the selected predetermined viewing angle afterselection of the viewing icon.
 7. The marine sonar display device ofclaim 5, wherein the processing element is further configured to storethe moved position of the viewing angle in the memory element forsubsequent selection.
 8. The marine sonar display device of claim 1,wherein the processing element is further configured to generate amarine vessel icon and a grid of distance and depth scales indicatingone or more distances from the sonar element.
 9. The marine sonardisplay device of claim 8, wherein the scales indicate a distance fromthe left side of the sonar element, a distance from the right side ofthe sonar element, and a depth below the sonar element such that thescales appear on the display in the three-dimensional view.
 10. Themarine sonar display device of claim 8, wherein the processing elementis configured to control the display to visually present the grid ofdistance and depth scales under the marine vessel icon in thethree-dimensional view.
 11. The marine sonar display device of claim 1,wherein the processing element is further configured to generate atriangular sonar beam icon corresponding to a current direction of theoutputted sonar beam overlaid on the three-dimensional view.
 12. Themarine sonar display device of claim 1, wherein the processing elementis configured to assign at least one color to the underwater objectsrepresentation from a first color palette and at least one color to thewater bed representation from a second color palette.
 13. The marinesonar display device of claim 12, wherein the at least one color fromthe first color palette is chosen based on the depth of the underwaterobjects representation.
 14. A marine sonar display device comprising: adisplay; a sonar element configured to generate a sonar beam output intoa portion of a body of water and transducer signals based on reflectionsof the sonar beam received from the body of water; a memory elementconfigured to store sonar data; a user interface that allows a user toselect a viewing angle of a three-dimensional view of a portion of thebody of water; and a processing element in communication with thedisplay, the sonar element, the memory element, and the user interface,the processing element configured to— receive the transducer signals,calculate sonar data from the received transducer signals along a pathof the sonar beam, generate a plurality of sonar images, wherein eachsonar image of the plurality of sonar images generated from the sonardata derived from the received transducer signals during a single pingin time and including representations of underwater objects and a waterbed for that ping, generate a plurality of viewing icons to appear onthe display from which the three-dimensional view is seen, determine aselected predetermined viewing angle based on selection of one of theplurality of viewing icons, generate the three-dimensional view of aportion of the body of water based on the selected predetermined viewingangle, the view including the plurality of sonar images, and control thedisplay to visually present the three-dimensional view.
 15. The marinesonar display device of claim 12, plurality of viewing icons correspondto one of a perspective view, an overhead view, or a side view.
 16. Themarine sonar display device of claim 12, wherein the processing elementis further configured to move a position of the viewing angle by sensinguser inputs moving the viewing angle to a viewing angle other than thepredetermined viewing angle.
 17. The marine sonar display device ofclaim 16, wherein the processing element automatically switches to theselected predetermined viewing angle after selection of the viewingicon.
 18. The marine sonar display device of claim 1, wherein theprocessing element is further configured to generate a marine vesselicon and a grid of distance and depth scales indicating one or moredistances from the sonar element.
 19. The marine sonar display device ofclaim 18, wherein the processing element is configured to control thedisplay to visually present the grid of distance and depth scales underthe marine vessel icon in the three-dimensional view.
 20. The marinesonar display device of claim 12, wherein the processing element isfurther configured to generate a triangular sonar beam iconcorresponding to a current direction of the outputted sonar beamoverlaid on the three-dimensional view.
 21. The marine sonar displaydevice of claim 1, wherein the processing element is configured togenerate a plurality of viewing icons to appear on the display, eachicon corresponding to one of a perspective view, an overhead view, or aside view, from which the three-dimensional view is seen.